STATEN ISLAND< N.Y. - Five young school girls from upstate New York, including one with family ties on Staten Island, collected a total of $1,700 in donations for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Aminah Bashir, 10, a fifth grader whose mother is a former resident of Willowbrook, helped to deliver a check for the money that was raised in the Cents for Sandy project at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School in Saratoga Springs.

"We wanted to do something to help people on Staten Island," said Aminah, whose grandparents, Rafi and Rubina Chaudry, are Willowbrook residents. The family did not suffer major damage in the storm.

The donation was presented to the Advance, which has partnered with Project Hospitality and St. George Theatre to establish a storm relief fund.

Rian Davis, who has relatives in New Jersey, and Amber Connors, both classmates of Aminah, came up with the idea to collect the money. They were joined by Leah Radovic, another fifth grader.

Fourth grader Lucy Cucinella wrote to Principal Kevin Froats to get permission for the girls to raise funds.

"Dorothy Nolan is a bucket-filling school and we are very proud of their hard work," wrote Froats in a letter that accompanied their donation.

Besides collecting change at school, the students also held a bake sale at a local bank.